Strict Standards: Only variables should be assigned by reference in /nas/wp/www/cluster-40372/nwfblogs/wp-content/themes/nwf/functions.php on line 116Wildlife Promise » Campus Solutionshttp://blog.nwf.org
The National Wildlife Federation's blogFri, 31 Jul 2015 19:00:24 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Extension Leaders Visit NWF Advocacy Center for Conservation Leadership Discussionhttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/07/extension-leaders-visit-nwf-advocacy-center-for-conservation-leadership-discussion/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/07/extension-leaders-visit-nwf-advocacy-center-for-conservation-leadership-discussion/#commentsThu, 23 Jul 2015 13:51:22 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=108089On July 13, 2015, 12 participants from the National Extension Leadership Development (NELD) program visited NWF’s National Advocacy Center to hear first-hand from staff about NWF’s experience in initiating and supporting advocacy efforts and in developing future leaders, such as through the leadership development and certification aspects of NWF’s EcoLeaders initiative. The NELD program aims to advance leadership understanding and experience for current and future leaders within the Cooperative Extension System (Extension) in the North Central Region.

The Conservation Interests Can Get What They Need If They Will Pull Together. Photo credit: The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society; The University of Iowa

The busy yet productive meeting began with brief introductions before launching into NWF’s history and an overview of the EcoLeaders initiative by Julian Keniry, Courtney Cochran, and David Corsar. Julian pointed out that Ding Darling’s iconic cartoon, often used to illustrate NWF’s early roots, contains a reference to the Extension with a group marching under a banner reading “Four H Clubs for Conservation” – 4-H being one of the Extension’s most recognized programs.

The Extension has roots from the 1800s but was authorized in 1914 by the Smith-Lever Act with the goal to inform farmers and the general public about advances in agriculture, economic development, coastal issues, and a range of related subjects such as leadership and governance. Today, over 100 land-grant colleges and universities are dedicated to providing research, information and services to farmers, young people, and whole communities.

While describing the strategies used and lessons learned in NWF’s various advocacy campaigns, Ben Larson, Jan Goldman-Carter, and Naomi Edelson frequently described the strength and experience that NWF has in convening often disparate groups to unite for action. Ben explained, “The effectiveness of coalitions comes down to how well you relate to each other. NWF has experience being a good convener – that big tent for lots of organizations to come together.”

Jan noted that when bringing together a coalition to successfully support the Clean Water Rule, “We didn’t stop at environmentalists and sportsmen but also reached out to faith groups, local community leaders, county commissioners, even brewers – who had a huge interest in preserving clean waters.”

And Naomi, who gave an overview of the work NWF has done to support Monarch butterflies and other pollinators, explained that “You can do policy by writing rules and regulations and have enforcement. But you can also have policy successes just by bringing people together.”

Ben also noted that Extension leaders, like those present, were perfect candidates for getting involved and advocating for ecologically sound policies. He explained that representatives are much more receptive to the input from their constituencies as opposed to just hearing from Washington lobbyists. Extension leaders can more easily reach into geographically dispersed communities, engage people, and bring them from their home districts to DC for direct advocacy with their representatives. Also, through their established networks, Extension leaders have access to a large quantity of relevant and vivid stories to which representatives respond.

Having already been familiar with NWF’s long-running Campus Ecology program, NELD program participant Tom Wojciechowski, with the University of Wisconsin Extension, had reached out to Julian with a request for NWF to host this discussion. Of course, Julian had no trouble finding NWF staff members eager to share their experiences with this dynamic and engaging group.

The meeting ended with a brief question and answer session in which the speakers opened up about their personal motivations and aspirations as well as their biggest lessons learned. Ben noted, “It takes years to do big stuff,” and Jan added, “You can’t take anything for granted. It is a constant education and reeducation process.”

Julian added her hope that with the connections made in this meeting, she would like to see “a collaboration between NWF and Extension, where together we have a huge army of students and young professionals who are engaged and caring and educated and educating others about water and biodiversity and sustainability and clean energy.”

In its fifth year, more than 343,000 students and staff across 125 colleges and universities participated in CCN 2015, which saved the schools more than $290,000 in electricity and water in just three weeks. Over the five years of the competition, CCN participants have saved 6 million kilowatt hours (six GWh) of electricity, equivalent to averting more than 9 million pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere.

From Feb. 1 through April 30, 2015, students and staff competed to achieve the greatest reductions in their residence halls’ energy use over a three-week period. Students and staff used tactics such as direct action, real-time consumption dashboards and social media to motivate and encourage sustainable behaviors, proving that occupants play a critical role in greening their buildings. By making commitments to turn off unused electronics, take shorter showers, use the stairs instead of the elevator and other simple changes in behavior, students across the country demonstrated how individual actions could make a big collective difference in the way our buildings consume electricity and water.

THE WINNERS

The 10 schools with the largest overall percent reduction of electricity produced were (listed alphabetically) California State University – Chico, Concordia College, Dickinson College, Eastern Mennonite University, Georgia State University, Hofstra University, Northwest Missouri State University, Oklahoma State University, San Diego State University and Western Technical College, with the highest-performing school reducing its electricity use by 30.6 percent during its competition. The five schools with the largest overall percent reduction in their water use were (listed alphabetically) Eastern Washington University, Oberlin College, Pima Community College, University of Nevada – Las Vegas and Wake Forest University, with the highest-performing school reducing its water use by 19.8 percent.

“Campus Conservation Nationals demonstrates how students are leading real change on their campuses,” said Courtney Cochran, Senior Coordinator of National Wildlife Federation’s EcoLeaders Initiative, “Students witness firsthand the positive impact their actions and leadership can have and they will carry those behaviors and skills with them in their future endeavors as “EcoLeaders”.

THE TECHNOLOGY

During the competition, Lucid’s technology facilitated cross-departmental collaboration, with more than 50 percent of participants stating that CCN helped build new relationships between campus groups, such as facilities, sustainability, residence life and student leaders. Participating schools used Lucid’s BuildingOS platform to track electricity and water use and to share building performance and competition standings with students and staff.

“CCN opens the eyes of students and administrators alike to the potential of strong energy management,” said Chelsea Hodge, director of engagement programs at Lucid. “They realize that, wow, if we can achieve substantial reductions through just empowering individuals to change their behavior, then we can achieve equally large, or larger, savings by optimizing building operations, while saving money and improving comfort and productivity. CCN is a window into this potential.”

THE POSTER CONTEST

One of the driving forces of participation on campus in Campus Conservation Nationals (CCN) are the many, entertaining, inspiring and clever posters that promote energy reduction at participating campuses across the country. CCN participants were encouraged to both create these posters to use during the competition and to enter their posters in the CCN Poster Contest. The contest was open to student, faculty and staff whose school participated in CCN 2015, and submissions were invited for three categories: “Best Outreach”, posters that best communicated information about competition events, format, prizes, logistics, or the competition itself, “Best Behavior Change”, posters that best utilized one or more of the Behavior Change Tools outlined in the CCN Marketing & Behavior Change Guide, and “Popular Vote”, posters that received the most votes during the public voting period in April.

NWF’s partnership in the Campus Conservation Nationals annual competition directly ties to NWF’s EcoLeaders initiative. Student participation and leadership in CCN helps students earn certification as NWF EcoLeaders and boost their preparation for related careers. CCN student participants join nearly 750 registered students from 250 campuses in 45 states who are currently supporting one another towards the NWF EcoLeader Certification.

“Through this national resource competition, students gain key environmental career skills employers tell us time and time again they are looking for, such as how to build happy, productive teams, reduce waste and costs, measure results, and communicate success,” said Julian Keniry, Senior Director of the NWF Campus Ecology Program. “These are also exactly the kinds of experiences that make students and young professionals more effective agents for sustainability, which makes them eligible for recognition through National Wildlife Federation’s EcoLeaders certification program.”

Campus Conservation Nationals is part of a series of nine national competitions focused on campus and student leadership for the environment National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has hosted since 2007. In 2010, NWF joined with Lucid design and USGBC to take the competition into the residences, focusing the awards on the role of students in achieving measurable energy and water conservation. Lucid Design was founded by the Oberlin College students and instructors recognized in the very first national chill out competition in 2007 and, in the short time since, Oberlin graduates have made Lucid one of the most innovative resource efficiency and conservation companies in the world.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/05/campus-conservation-nationals-celebrates-fifth-anniversary-as-colleges-and-universities-amass-six-gigawatt-hours-of-electricity-savings/feed/0HBCU NWF EcoLeaders Advance Their Environmental Leadership Developmenthttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/05/hbcu-nwf-ecoleaders-advance-their-environmental-leadership-development/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/05/hbcu-nwf-ecoleaders-advance-their-environmental-leadership-development/#commentsMon, 04 May 2015 20:17:11 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=106242During the weekend of April 10-April 12, 2015, nine Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students and one HBCU alumnus came together in Atlanta for our first National Wildlife Federation EcoLeaders HBCU Student Environmental Leadership Development Training. This effort, an extension of NWF’s Campus Ecology EcoLeaders program, was supported by the long standing and continuously fruitful partnership between NWF and the Energy Action Coalition, a coalition of 30 youth driven organizations working towards a clean energy future.

Participants get ready to head to the airport on the last day. What a great weekend! Photo by Eriqah Williams

The main goal of this training was to build the HBCU presence in the environmental and conservation movement by lending mentorship and advisement to students. Students were poised to learn about environmentalism in social justice, develop leadership and project planning skills, and establish a relationship with NWF that would hopefully lead to valuable opportunities for them in the future.

The students arrived in Atlanta on Friday and experienced an intimate dinner with prominent leaders in the city including NWF’s own resident community champion, Na’Taki Osborne Jelks. They introduced themselves and talked about what they hoped to gain from this weekend. Saturday was filled with field and cultural experiences as well as leadership training sessions. In the morning the students were taken on a “Toxic Tour” around Altanta; a trip exposing the environmental injustices and threats to resiliency in underserved communities like the ones that most of these young leaders come from.

A twitter post from Audrey Smylie, Lincoln University Student and one of the training participants. Search tag #HBCUSELT2015 on Twitter or Instagram for more pictures and quotes from the students regarding the training.

Then the youth were able to experience The Center for Civil and Human Rights, a new museum and cultural experience in Atlanta joining the 1960s Civil Rights movement with today’s global human rights movement. Here the youth were inspired to take environmental justice as a social justice and apply the leadership styles and tactics of past human rights leaders to their current quest to evoke change.

The third field experience was to visit an organization that is doing their part to introduce appreciation for conservation and environment to the inner city community. West Atlanta Watershed Alliance hosted the Urban Forestry Festival doing just that at the Outdoor Activity Center nature preserve. The remainder of the weekend was filled with training sessions on subjects from creative leadership to building effective campus groups to new sustainability funding opportunities. Some of these sessions were led by influential sustainability professionals including another NWF education colleague, Crystal Grant Jennings.

“I enjoyed how the speakers were able to find a unique balance of being formal and informal with us. The outside activities like the toxic tour, trip to the civil and human rights center and the outdoor environmental fair were very inspirational and motivating.” – HBCU student

The youth leaders will be taking the skills and insights they learned in the training and applying it to projects and events they plan to implement on campus and in their community during this summer. They are also applying for certification from the NWF EcoLeaders community, a career credential certification that will lead to more training, professional development webinars, and interface with potential employers in this field of environment and sustainability. The hope is that the success of this weekend will lead to further opportunities with diverse populations and larger face to face training under EcoLeaders in the future.

Northwest Montessori is a private school in Seattle, Washington educating students Pre-K thru middle school. The school aims to build an environment that will help every student explore, communicate, work and perfect skills to their highest potential.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy Boussard, a student at Evergreen State College who is using the Eco-Schools USA program to not only enhance the learning experience for kids at Northwest Montessori School, but to further her own education. This past fall, as part of a college internship, Christy transformed the school’s outdoor garden into a laboratory where students learn about the Pacific Northwest eco-system where they live.

Features of this school garden that we love:

Storm water management is taken seriously. After consulting topographic maps and taking slope measurements, Christy dug a narrow ditch to serve as a conduit for conveying storm water runoff from the school’s roof to a bio-infiltration basin that is planted with native water loving shrubs and grasses.

Lesson plans and guides enhance the learning experience. Christy created plant labels, wildlife signage and a habitat care and maintenance field guide. She also created three lesson plans:

Grace and Courtesy in the Garden which explains the importance of using quiet voices in the garden and why it is important to stay on pathways.

Plant Identification which discusses the difference between a weed and a native plant species and begins to help students learn different leaf shapes, smells and colors.

Observing Wildlife which starts by using a magnifying glass to observe and identify insects at an insect ‘hotel’ station.

The layout of the school garden.

A path created by using tree stumps.

A brush pile of native plant species.

A caterpillar enjoys the garden.

Students check out the Insect Hotel. Photo credit: Christy Boussard

Students learn about their local forest habitat. It was important to Christy that the school garden have features that reflect forest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. She wanted students attending this urban Seattle school to feel like they were walking out into the forest. A lot of research went into selecting plants and sourcing native plant species. Trees create a forest canopy in one section, while an understory of huckleberries and other edibles greet visitors at the end of a walkway.

Click here to learn more about the Eco-Schools USA program, and find out how you can participate!

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/11/eco-schools-usa-goes-to-college/feed/0NWF Emerging Leaders Training: We All Have a Role to Playhttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/09/nwf-emerging-leaders-training-we-all-have-a-role-to-play/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/09/nwf-emerging-leaders-training-we-all-have-a-role-to-play/#commentsThu, 04 Sep 2014 18:58:17 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=99948Guest Post by Kamilah Martin

What do you get when you put 17 random environmental “emerging” leaders and students in a conference room at a retreat lodge to focus on leadership and environmental stewardship? I’ll tell you what you get. What you get is a group of passionate, smart people who appreciate our natural world and who aren’t afraid to profess it! I guess that’s why it shouldn’t have surprised anyone when one among the group during the initial welcome activities shared, “…I have the urge to be outside,” prompting the organizers to pack up the flip charts and markers to move our meeting outdoors, and thus setting the tone for our five amazing days together as 2014 National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Fellows in the mountains of GA.

Kamilah receives a random act of kindness during the training.

I am the Associate Director of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, the global youth humanitarian program of the Jane Goodall Institute (and one lucky part of the group of 17) who had the honor of learning, growing, sharing, laughing, and planning together during this incredible five day experience.

The National Wildlife Federation Emerging Leaders Initiative is about engaging, empowering, and expanding a network of young professional leaders who want to live in a healthy world where they can breathe clean air, drink clean water, and enjoy a diverse array of wildlife and habitat.

Now I have been on both sides of this sort of program for about a decade now, and never have I experienced such an immediate sense of collaboration, leadership, participant presence, and “EQ” (emotional intelligence). Not only was it a tremendous growth experience and opportunity to collaborate with people who are already doing incredible things in their own ways for this planet we share, but it was also, quite simply, refreshing and re-energizing.

I attribute this to the group of people who serendipitously found ourselves going after this opportunity this year and coming together, but also the NWF staff (shout out Crystal, Courtney, and Kassie), and the insightful and talented facilitator, Barbara Wykoff, who encouraged and offered authenticity, big-picture thinking, relevant leadership training, and personal reflection.

Photo: Chelsea Roseberry

We all came from different places and complete different parts of the conservation puzzle—some, like me, who are working to encourage and develop the next generation of conservation stewards, some who are in the public sector working with policymakers, some who are in the private sector and come from the perspective of how to monetize and incentivize “doing good,” and others who are on the ground working directly with local communities to make an immediate, tangible impact. The one commonality among us is that we all want this world to be around for a while and that we are all part of the formula that is necessary to make sure the resources, animals, people, and environment are here for generations to come.

The main takeaway I have from this experience is a philosophy that Dr. Jane Goodall has spent her entire life trying to help people understand: we all have a difference to make in this world, from our everyday life choices. After all, “every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” We are so fortunate to have programs like the National Wildlife Federation Emerging Leaders Initiative around to bring to the forefront the fact that there are so many of us out there working to do our part.

To learn more about the 2014 National Wildlife Federation fellows and our work, visit www.nwf.org/fellows

Kamilah is the Associate Director of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, the global youth humanitarian program of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). At JGI she works to develop programs, resources, and partnerships designed to support the next generation of conservation leaders who understand the interconnectedness between people, animals, and the environment. She presents to audiences nationally on youth-led service learning and youth achievement.

Kamilah is a graduate of CUNY, Baruch College’s National Urban Fellows leadership program, where she also earned her Master’s in Public Administration. She earned her undergraduate degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland, College Park. Kamilah was also one of thirty-five people awarded a New York University Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service.

During her NWF fellowship, Kamilah will be developing strategies to reach broader populations that are currently underrepresented in JGI’s growing efforts to introduce educators and young people across the globe to the Roots & Shoots service learning model.

A great feat for five days, fellows focused on meeting the objectives listed above while gaining a deeper sense of their purpose and how to translate purpose into actions. How, you may ask? Well, here’s the five day breakdown:

2014 Class of Emerging Leader Fellows. Photo Credit: Jomar Floyd

Day one was primarily spent getting to know each other. Fellows were asked to bring something from home as a story prop for something they wanted to share about themselves. The fellows had their first opportunity to “show up”, authentically, to the rest of the group and that’s exactly what they did! After getting acquainted, fellows discussed the various definitions of leadership and received their “Kindness Challenge” – a daily act of kindness for a participant whose name they randomly selected.

Day two’s theme was “Our Work” and questions of purpose and vision occupied most activities. Fellows were encouraged to live, lead and act from that which gives their life meaning. The day ended with the viewing of documentary, Bidder 70, which follows the story of Tim DeChristopher’s courageous act of civil disobedience in the name of climate justice. A lively discussion about the type of leadership displayed in the film followed.

Silence kicked off day three with fellows attending breakfast and one hour in nature in COMPLETE silence. Of course, this was an easy task for some and arduous for others. Either way, fellows developed a true sense of how to “quite their minds” and become more in tune with their deeper selves. The theme for this day was self-awareness and management. Other sessions on this day included: identifying and managing triggers; clearing assumptions; and reviewing 360 leadership evaluation results, which were used to show fellows their strengths and weaknesses in line with the core leadership competencies.

Eriqah Foreman Williams, Campus Ecology Southeast Field Coordinator in Atlanta, joined us for a discussion on “Power Mapping” to kick off day four. The presentation included information about sustaining engagement, leadership development, and working with community partners. A sure highlight of the week was NWF’s new President, Collin O’Mara, virtually joining the retreat to share his personal leadership journey and discuss his vision for NWF moving forward, with the fellows. Collin commented on the diversity of the group, geographically and ethnically, and applauded this class for being a good representation for what America looks like.

Closing campfire with Fellow skits! Photo Credit: Courtney Cochran

By the end of the day, skits were practiced and performed around a bonfire to illustrate the lessons learned during the training. Next, well a celebration was in order to congratulate the fellows on their hard work and effort – blood, sweat, and (yes) some tears which made this training an unforgettable experience and a true NWF success!

Fellow, Andrew Sartain, President of Earth Rebirth reflecting on his fellowship training experience:

“The past week with the #NWFFellows in North Georgia was one of the most inspiring, insightful and connecting experiences I could’ve asked for. As a child almost 20 years ago I determined my life’s mission. Experiences like this and people like the amazingly unique NWF Fellows from all over the country are what have kept me on track. You must know yourself to know where you are going and every one of these individuals know that. The future is a bright one because these people are awake. I can’t wait to work more with them and many others in the coming years. Thank you so much to the incredible National Wildlife Federation leaders who facilitated this meeting. It is a great family to be a part of now.”

Small group discussion on leadership Photo: Chelsea Roseberry

On the very last day of the training, Kassie Rohrbach, Senior Campaigns Manager of the Climate and Energy Program, presented on the work ahead for the fellows and Barbara Wyckoff of Dynamica Consulting, Inc., wrapped up the session with tips on leading forward. The closing session included time for everyone to speak their final peace before loading up the bus and heading back to their homes.

Rockwood Leadership defines leadership as “the ability to inspire and align others to successfully achieve common goals.” I can honestly say that we selected a class of leaders who are destined to do great things during their fellowship term and beyond. Stay tuned!

For more information about the Emerging Leader Fellowship, please contact Crystal Grant at grantc@nwf.org or Courtney Cochran at cochranc@nwf.org.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/09/leaders-emerge-at-2014-nwf-fellowship-training/feed/0Oregon State U: Commited to Conservation & Wildlife On and Off Campushttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/oregon-state-u-commited-to-conservation-wildlife-on-and-off-campus/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/oregon-state-u-commited-to-conservation-wildlife-on-and-off-campus/#commentsMon, 07 Jul 2014 12:49:37 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=97674Oregon State University in Corvallis is committed to conservation and wildlife both on and off campus. OSU has proven to be a leader in campus sustainability for many years. In 2011, National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology program recognized OSU for their Energy Center, the nation’s first LEED Platinum-rated power facility and their Student Sustainability Initiative. OSU has also attained a Gold rating in STARS – the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System; received the highest green ranking in Oregon and was listed as 11th in the nation in the 2013 Sierra Club “Cool Schools” ranking; and placed first in 2010, 2011, and 2012 in the annual Civil War RecycleMania competition with University of Oregon.

The 481.95 kilowatt solar array adjacent to the John L. Fryer Salmon Disease Lab is tied to that facility electrically. The array produces enough power on an annual basis to supply that facility and several other OSU facilities in the area. Click the link above for real-time solar production on SolarCity’s SolarGuard site. Partners for this installation include the Department of Microbiology and Department of Horticulture. Photo Oregon State University

In addition to these accomplishments, OSU has also made a significant effort to protect wildlife and natural resources on campus through the Oak Creek Restoration project. Restoration efforts have included the removal of invasive species like Himalayan blackberry and English ivy, reforesting areas of the corridor, reconnecting the floodplain, and properly treating and buffering storm water discharge into the creek ensuring a healthy aquatic habitat for fish and amphibians. Oak Creek is also an outdoor learning lab – students have the opportunity to evaluate various restoration and protection methods, study riparian function and monitor stream improvements.

So, what else is OSU doing for wildlife?

OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute (MMI) is a facility that brings together the work and expertise of many programs including engineering, genetics, agriculture, aquatics, ecology, veterinary medicine, biology and communications.

“As the only institute of its kind, the Marine Mammal Institute combines the efforts of top researchers from around the world to continue the legacy of discovery and preservation of critical habitats of target species and understanding how they interact with their environment and human activities.”

The Institute consists of six labs,one of which is the Cetacean Conservation and Genomics Laboratory (CCGL). The CCGL is committed to researching the molecular ecology and systematics of whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world to learn from their past, assess their present, with an ultimate goal of ensuring these marine mammals thrive long into the future.

MMI stranding coordinator Jim Rice conducts a dissection of a harbor porpoise with assistance from Natural History of Whales and Whaling students, Photo by Katelyn Cassidy

The lab looks at the impact of hunting on whale populations and the ecological role they played before human exploitation. To assess their current status, CCGL is involved in three collaborative studies focused on populations, genetic diversity and migration, specifically looking at Humpback and Sperm whales. CCGL also surveys the ‘whale-meat’ markets in Japan and the Republic of (South) Korea to learn more about what the future holds.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/oregon-state-u-commited-to-conservation-wildlife-on-and-off-campus/feed/2NWF Fellows, Champions for Wildlifehttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/nwf-fellows-champions-for-wildlife/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/nwf-fellows-champions-for-wildlife/#commentsWed, 02 Jul 2014 15:27:34 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=97609Since 2000, NWF’s Fellowship Program has supported more than 170 student and young professional environmental leaders working on campus and in their community on sustainability efforts. Of the 170 Fellowships awarded, 55 have focused specifically on protecting wildlife and habitat.

Julie Perreau, 2013 Fellow

Tested the effects of nest box preference and temperate on breeding success of Eastern Bluebirds on the University of Florida campus as a means to influence nest box management in positive ways.

Julie used two popular nest box models, the Gilbertson model and a more traditional Peterson model and paired them 80 meters apart, throughout the University of Florida campus. Once full clutches were laid, she measured the temperature using Maxim Integrated iButtons which were placed as close to the nest as possible to record the temperature of the nest throughout the nesting period. Through her initial findings she has found a preference for the Gilbertson model next box. She has used the results from her Eastern Bluebird research project in education outreach targeting to local Florida youth and university students in order to increase the use of next boxes on campus. Julie will complete her Fellowship this August. Learn more about Julie in the NWF EcoLeaders Community.

Left: Julie installing Gilbertson nest boxes throughout the University of Florida campus for the 2014 Eastern Bluebird breeding season. Right: Four baby bluebirds (Day 10) in a Gilbertson Nest Box on the University of Florida campus. Photo Credit: Julie Perreau

Research groups members in the Chugach Mountains. Photo Credit: Christina Rinas

Christina Rinas, 2013 NWF Fellow and graduate student at the Alaska Pacific University

Studying vegetation changes in the Chugach Mountains, located outside of Anchorage, Alaska.

Specifically, Christina is studying how shrubs are expanding in range, and growing in places where they never grew before. Changes in shrub distribution and abundance have important implications for wildlife– as shrubs expand their range certain species may benefit, but other species that rely on open, alpine areas may have less available habitat. Shrub expansion is occurring in many places in Alaska, but it is unknown how widespread shrub changes in the Chugach Mountains. Christina’s research is part of a larger natural resource monitoring project at the Alaska Pacific University. Twenty students and four faculty are involved with the project. Learn more about Christina in the NWF EcoLeaders Community.

Upcoming Fellowship Projects

This month NWF awarded 20 Fellowships to the NWF 2014 Class of Fellows. Starting in 2013, NWF’s Emerging Leaders Fellowship program expanded to support young professionals in the conservation field as well as student leaders. This year’s Fellows are planning a number of interesting projects that will benefit wildlife including the two projects outlined below:

Colleen Smiley, 2014 Fellow, is developing a mobile app to encourage individuals to become environmental stewards of the 189 acre Catawba Ecological Preserve and the 300 acre Catawba Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. The app will allow individuals to upload photos and descriptions via a GPS flag on a map of things they encounter while in the preserve/refuge. It will allow individuals to become citizen scientists, introduce new questions and thinking and foster volunteers.

Brigid Belko, 2014 NWF Fellow, will develop “The Last Green Valley Community Raptor Watch” initiative in the Last Green Valley region of Connecticut. This area has been witnessing an influx of snowy owls, bald eagles and other keystone raptor species that have not been seen for over a decade in the area – the community is excited about this development but unprepared to aid in the protection of these birds. The community raptor watch program will collaborate with pre-established birding interest groups and will foster the protection and livelihood of these rare birds.

Last spring, I was honored to be designated a 2013 Emerging Leader Fellow by the National Wildlife Federation. I don’t know whether they realized just how overly-ambitious my project proposal was at the time, but I think that they saw the intent behind the writing, and I’m truly grateful for what their support is empowering me to do. Portraits of the Real Wyoming is my small contribution toward making Wyoming a better place for its inhabitants (human and otherwise). Don’t get me wrong, I think it is an amazing place to be- I wouldn’t be living here if I didn’t truly feel this way.

But there is always room for improvement. I believe that the health of people, economies, and natural environments are intrinsically linked. There is a fine and intricate balance, and disproportionate changes if one inevitably detracts from the others. I believe that Wyoming has yet to find that perfect balance, and to generalize just a little bit, often supports short-term economic gains by extractive industries like coal, oil, and gas development to the detriment of the health of its people and natural environments. The intent of this project is to share the stories and experiences of real Wyoming citizens- people whose livelihoods and lifestyles depend directly on the land, water, and wildlife of Wyoming- as they relate to their perceived effects of the industry and economic boom on their own lives. I’m not trying to tell people how to live their lives, nor do I profess to have all the answers, but I do know that there is room to improve. I think there is a better balance to strike, one that will be better in the long term for our people, communities, and for our spectacular, irreplaceable natural inheritances of the land, water, and open spaces of Wyoming. That is my opinion. I hope that you will read the stories to follow and form your own opinions.

I think that the first Portrait, “Sportsman, Wildlife Biologist,” demonstrates just how important it is to tell the stories of people with real connections to the issues in Wyoming. I thought I knew who I was meeting in a long-time Game and Fish biologist, but I quickly realized I was talking to someone with a much more complicated and important story. Someone who played a key role not only in conserving a vast tract of critical wildlife habitat, but who was a major figure in a decade-long, nationally-prominent wildlife conflict that may still be affecting the nature and character of such conflicts today.

My goal here is to share “portraits” of interesting people, and maybe inspire a few folks to reflect on the issues and how their own values and beliefs might be affected. If you appreciate the content, please do share it with friends or as widely as you like. Please leave a comment below to share your own thoughts – I’d love to hear them!

This project is funded by a National Wildlife Federation 2013 Emerging Leader Fellowship. Their generous support and mentorship enabled me to undertake this project, but it is my hope to continue- and to grow- this work into the future. I am currently working to establish my own conservation nonprofit, called the Forever West Alliance, with the goals of telling more of these important stories, and engaging impassioned youth leaders in important public lands conservation issues through a new, innovative internship program. I hope you will join me in appreciating the stories of some very real and wonderful people!

Evan originally hails from small town in New York, but now calls Lander, WY his home. With a B.S. in Biology, an M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Policy, and diverse experiences working in conservation with land management agencies and NGOs, Evan is taking initiative to grow the environmental movement in Wyoming through his new organization, Forever West Alliance. He draws his inspiration from the dramatic landscapes and tight-knit communities of the West- where the adversity of life seems to make its inhabitants stronger, if not a bit more stubborn.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/portraits-of-the-real-wyoming/feed/0NWF Certified Wildlife Habitats Coming to a College Near You!http://blog.nwf.org/2014/06/nwf-certified-wildlife-habitats-coming-to-a-college-near-you/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/06/nwf-certified-wildlife-habitats-coming-to-a-college-near-you/#commentsThu, 26 Jun 2014 15:12:30 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=97569National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife program has been helping individuals and communities certify their wildlife habitats and take action on behalf of wildlife since 1973. The program engages homeowners, businesses, schools, colleges, churches, parks and other groups that are committed to making their communities wildlife friendly. Currently there are more than 170,000 certified habitats nationwide, Wildlife habitats are important to year-round wildlife residents including the Cardinal in Virginia, as well as species that migrate, such as the Monarch butterfly that flies to Mexico in the fall each year. Wildlife habitats not only provide homes for wildlife, but provide a great space for people to enjoy the outdoors and learn about native plants and animals. According to NWF’s Garden for Wildlife program, there are four basic elements required to be certified:

Food: Native plants provide wildlife with nectar, seeds and barriers used by an exciting variety of wildlife, and feeders can supplement natural food sources.

Water: All animals (including humans) need water to survive and some need it for bathing or breeding as well.

Several hundred colleges and universities in the U.S. have certified their campus wildlife habitats—gardens, forests, wetlands, and more—through National Wildlife Federation. In March 2009, Doane CollegeCrete campus in Nebraska, also known as the Osterhout Arboretum, was recognized by NWF for its beauty and attention to native species as a certified wildlife habitat. The designation recognizes the 300 acre, 137 year old campus, for creating wildlife havens.

Osterhout is the home to more than 160 species of trees and shrubs, including 100-year-old groves of pine, ash, pin oak and catalpa trees. The arboretum has a variety of flowering bushes and plants, ponds, an outdoor amphitheater, a natural spring, fountains, bridges, prairie areas, wetlands and fitness and nature trails – many great features that benefit all creatures, including humans.

Doane’s Wildlife and Conservation Organization student chapter took the initiative and applied for NWF certification. Other accolades for Doane include being the first college to become a member of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, and the first in the state to be designated as a Groundwater Guardian Green Site by the Groundwater Foundation – the school limits their use of chemicals on lawns, and also implements water conservation practices.

Doane’s Osterhout Arboretum became an officially registered arboretum in 1978. It is are currently listed in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a comprehensive list and database of currently more than 850 arboreta in the U.S. and internationally. The Morton Arboretum has compiled the Morton Register as part of the ArbNet website identifying organizations that collect and display trees, shrubs, and other woody plants for the benefit of the public, science, and conservation.

The State University of New York Rockland Community College partnered with AmeriCorps and United Water Company to restore a wildlife habitat on campus as an ecological and educational resource. This ongoing project started in the summer of 2008. Restoration efforts have included performing a natural resources inventory to identify the appropriate plants to enhance the habitat. A trail was built with rocks and mulch, and a guide was developed for campus and community visitors to emphasize diversity, sustainability, food webs, watershed protection, prevention of pollution, and growth of invasive plants. The trail is used by Rockland college students, and more than 400 local k-12 school kids have visited.

A policy was also developed in conjunction with the trail project to prohibit the use of pesticides on campus. “Earning the NWF Wildlife Habitat Certification and posting the signs gave significant recognition to the project” says Susan Brydon Golz, PhD, Professor of Science.